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The Dinosaurs are Having a Party!
A rip-roaring dinosaur romp from Blue Peter Book of the Year winner Gareth P. Jones, and illustrated by the inimitable Garry Parsons, winner of the Red House Children's Book Award.
The dinosaurs are having a party
It starts precisely at three
I'm a boy not a dinosaur
So I'm pleased they invited me.
But the dinosaurs are planning to serve a special dish at their party and perhaps all is not as it seems.
The dinosaurs are having a party
It starts precisely at three
I'm a boy not a dinosaur
So I'm pleased they invited me.
But the dinosaurs are planning to serve a special dish at their party and perhaps all is not as it seems.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2014
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Gareth P. Jones
77 books154 followersGareth first started writing when he was very young but it wasn’t until he was in his early twenties that he completed his first novel. Having had it universally rejected he wrote a novel for children called Who Killed Charlie Twig, which received an equally unimpressed reception and remains rightly unpublished to this day.
Some years passed during which Gareth met his future wife, Lisa and began a career in TV, working on shows such as The Big Breakfast and Richard & Judy. Then one day he found himself having lunch at the offices of Bloomsbury. He mentioned the unpublished book to a nice lady called Sarah, who politely suggested that he should send in the first three chapters for her to look at (and most likely dismiss, she thought to herself). Gareth returned home and excitedly told his wife this news, who gently explained that the book he had written actually wasn’t very good, but reminded him that he had recently begun work on a much better idea. This turned out to be good advice. In 2007 Bloomsbury published the first of four books in the series The Dragon Detective Agency and have since published The Thornthwaite Inheritance, Space Crime Conspiracy and The Considine Curse. He has also written a shorter story, Perry’s 5, published by Barrington Stoke and a series of books called Ninja Meerkats, published by Stripes.
Gareth now divides his time between writing books, producing TV programmes, spending time with his wife and son, Herbie and playing the slightly ludicrous number of stringed instruments in his front room.
NOMINATIONS & AWARDS
The Dragon Detective Agency: The Case of the Missing Cats was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Book Prize.
The Thornthwaite Inheritance was shortlisted for eleven local book awards and won seven of them.
The Considine Curse was voted Blue Peter Book of the Year 2012.
Some years passed during which Gareth met his future wife, Lisa and began a career in TV, working on shows such as The Big Breakfast and Richard & Judy. Then one day he found himself having lunch at the offices of Bloomsbury. He mentioned the unpublished book to a nice lady called Sarah, who politely suggested that he should send in the first three chapters for her to look at (and most likely dismiss, she thought to herself). Gareth returned home and excitedly told his wife this news, who gently explained that the book he had written actually wasn’t very good, but reminded him that he had recently begun work on a much better idea. This turned out to be good advice. In 2007 Bloomsbury published the first of four books in the series The Dragon Detective Agency and have since published The Thornthwaite Inheritance, Space Crime Conspiracy and The Considine Curse. He has also written a shorter story, Perry’s 5, published by Barrington Stoke and a series of books called Ninja Meerkats, published by Stripes.
Gareth now divides his time between writing books, producing TV programmes, spending time with his wife and son, Herbie and playing the slightly ludicrous number of stringed instruments in his front room.
NOMINATIONS & AWARDS
The Dragon Detective Agency: The Case of the Missing Cats was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Book Prize.
The Thornthwaite Inheritance was shortlisted for eleven local book awards and won seven of them.
The Considine Curse was voted Blue Peter Book of the Year 2012.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 4, 2016
I read this one in Dutch, but I will write the review in English (because the original book is in English).
This was a decent book, but I have a lot of questions. How did the boy know the dinosaurs? (Or for that matter, how did they know him?) Was he really just invited to be food? Or was there another reason? In case of being the food, why did the boy go? I mean, I wouldn't willingly go to a party at which I would be food. No thank you.
The party did seem pretty fun, and I loved seeing all the dinosaurs, all the various foods, the party games, the way the dinosaurs were drawn. I also loved how our MC was shown doing all kinds of things, while trying to not get killed (because dinosaurs aren't only hungry, but they can also sit on you, or accidentally crush you).
The ending however was a bit of a letdown. Especially when one finds out why the T-rex was so dead set on following our MC. I do hope our MC does the right thing and brings back when he took. But with this ending the book definitely lost a star. Maybe mean, and you can probably argue that the open ending leaves room for some own thinking, but I would rather just get it directly.
The art was definitely fun to see, it is colourful, it is full of details, and the dinosaurs are just funny (and I am glad they aren't using the way the dinosaurs are often drawn these days (which just looks ugly)).
But all in all a book with a few good, but also a few bad points. I did enjoy myself, but I also felt like I missed a book before this one. Would I recommend this one? On the one hand, yes, but there were also enough things that felt lacking, so I am not sure.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This was a decent book, but I have a lot of questions. How did the boy know the dinosaurs? (Or for that matter, how did they know him?) Was he really just invited to be food? Or was there another reason? In case of being the food, why did the boy go? I mean, I wouldn't willingly go to a party at which I would be food. No thank you.
The party did seem pretty fun, and I loved seeing all the dinosaurs, all the various foods, the party games, the way the dinosaurs were drawn. I also loved how our MC was shown doing all kinds of things, while trying to not get killed (because dinosaurs aren't only hungry, but they can also sit on you, or accidentally crush you).
The ending however was a bit of a letdown. Especially when one finds out why the T-rex was so dead set on following our MC. I do hope our MC does the right thing and brings back when he took. But with this ending the book definitely lost a star. Maybe mean, and you can probably argue that the open ending leaves room for some own thinking, but I would rather just get it directly.
The art was definitely fun to see, it is colourful, it is full of details, and the dinosaurs are just funny (and I am glad they aren't using the way the dinosaurs are often drawn these days (which just looks ugly)).
But all in all a book with a few good, but also a few bad points. I did enjoy myself, but I also felt like I missed a book before this one. Would I recommend this one? On the one hand, yes, but there were also enough things that felt lacking, so I am not sure.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
March 10, 2017
Varsin mukava, runomuotoinen kuvakirja pikkupojasta, joka kutsutaan dinosaurusten juhliin siitä huolimatta että paikalle on kutsuttu melkoisesti lihansyöjiä. Loppuratkaisu hymyilyttää.
August 22, 2019
This book is about a little boy who's invited to a party held by dinosaurs (to be food?). While at the party he starts being chased by a t-rex but escapes. I read this book to my 7 year old who loves dinosaurs, so he was really excited about the book. We read the book and he was really into it but when we reached the end he asked "well what happened next". He asked this because after he gets away the little boy discovers he took an egg from the t-rex by mistake but then the book just ends. So I thought it was a fun book for smaller children with the rhyming even though the end was disappointing and left me with questions.
How did he get invited?
Were these dinosaurs his friends?
Was he really just invited to be food?
Did he return the egg and apologize?
What happened next?
How did he get invited?
Were these dinosaurs his friends?
Was he really just invited to be food?
Did he return the egg and apologize?
What happened next?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2021
I read this to my kids as part of a storytime collection from the library and I was a little confused, as were they. Actually, the ending made my older one a little sad for the bigger Trex. This story was a cute idea, but it lacked a lot of explanation and I needed to explain a few things to my kiddos.
August 28, 2018
Funny book, love it.
June 2, 2020
Very cute book. My son loved it and found it really funny!
September 11, 2025
#67 of 2025
October 28, 2014
You’ve hired the clown, there appears to be enough food and goodie bags for everyone, but have you made one fatal mistake? Is the venue big enough, this is after all a party for dinosaurs. ‘The Dinosaurs are Having a Party!’ by Gareth P Jones and illustrated by Garry Parsons tells of one such party fully populated by our extinct friends; apart from one small boy and his dog. Everything at the party appears to be fine, but where is the food?
‘Dinosaurs Party’ is an extremely fun and slightly surreal children’s story that poses some questions you would only see in a story book. There is a Dr Suessian feel to the whole thing, not only in the oddness of a boy going to a nondescript suburban house for a dinosaur party, but also the rhyming couplets. In terms of the writing style Jones does a fantastic job of telling the story, whilst also making the rhyme work. There is always amusement when writing poetry about a loo, but he also manages to put across the slight trepidation of the young lad who is wondering where the food is.
Jones is more than ably supported by the illustrations of Parsons, it is here that the book excels. The use of colour is fantastic and the dinosaurs look wonderfully bizarre as they take part in a regular type of children’s party. Parsons also uses every inch of space on the page; there is a lot to see and the giant dinosaurs often spill off the sides.
My only misgiving of the book is not to do with style, but the collapse of the narrative at the end. There are some very funny dinosaur-out-of-water moments throughout the book, but the conclusion feels flat and not linked that well with the rest of the book. You cannot help but feel a little disappointed at the end after an exhilarating book up until then.
Despite this issue, ‘The Dinosaurs are Having a Party!’ is an extremely fun children’s book that any child with a slight mischievous side will love. It is the type of book that has earned the right to have an exclamation mark in the title. It’s Daft! Funny! Silly! And full of hungry dinosaurs and one confused little boy!
‘Dinosaurs Party’ is an extremely fun and slightly surreal children’s story that poses some questions you would only see in a story book. There is a Dr Suessian feel to the whole thing, not only in the oddness of a boy going to a nondescript suburban house for a dinosaur party, but also the rhyming couplets. In terms of the writing style Jones does a fantastic job of telling the story, whilst also making the rhyme work. There is always amusement when writing poetry about a loo, but he also manages to put across the slight trepidation of the young lad who is wondering where the food is.
Jones is more than ably supported by the illustrations of Parsons, it is here that the book excels. The use of colour is fantastic and the dinosaurs look wonderfully bizarre as they take part in a regular type of children’s party. Parsons also uses every inch of space on the page; there is a lot to see and the giant dinosaurs often spill off the sides.
My only misgiving of the book is not to do with style, but the collapse of the narrative at the end. There are some very funny dinosaur-out-of-water moments throughout the book, but the conclusion feels flat and not linked that well with the rest of the book. You cannot help but feel a little disappointed at the end after an exhilarating book up until then.
Despite this issue, ‘The Dinosaurs are Having a Party!’ is an extremely fun children’s book that any child with a slight mischievous side will love. It is the type of book that has earned the right to have an exclamation mark in the title. It’s Daft! Funny! Silly! And full of hungry dinosaurs and one confused little boy!
August 10, 2015
SUMMARY: This is a rhyming book about a boy who gets invited to a dinosaur party. He is very pleased to be able to go, but he doesn't see a very important part of the invitation (which I won't give away). He plays their games and has a snack, but then realizes there is a really good reason for him to go home...pronto.
ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations are very colorful and full of detail and fun.
THE GOOD: This is a fun story for elementary children who love dinosaur stories. There are plenty of dino pictures throughout. The book also has a lot of humor although you may have to look closely for it sometimes.
THE NOT AS GOOD: I would have liked this book so much more if the author had chosen not to try to rhyme. The rhyming is often forced. This book would have flowed better without it. The ending gets a little scary with a T-rex chase making it less appropriate for the smallest crowd.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: AGES 4-8
ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations are very colorful and full of detail and fun.
THE GOOD: This is a fun story for elementary children who love dinosaur stories. There are plenty of dino pictures throughout. The book also has a lot of humor although you may have to look closely for it sometimes.
THE NOT AS GOOD: I would have liked this book so much more if the author had chosen not to try to rhyme. The rhyming is often forced. This book would have flowed better without it. The ending gets a little scary with a T-rex chase making it less appropriate for the smallest crowd.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: AGES 4-8
October 24, 2014
I love rhyming books. They are usually the books I end my storytelling session with. And a book about parties at that! Got the kids to share about parties and the things they see at parties. Plus dinosaurs! The surprise at the end was a nice touch.
December 28, 2014
I thought this was a pretty enjoyable book, and I could see lots of potential for interaction during a story time. Sometimes rhyming books can sound a bit constrained by their rhyme scheme though. This one didn't fall into that category too much, but it did a little bit.
April 6, 2015
A young boy is invited to a dinosaur party. All the dinosaurs are having an excellent time. The boy eventually gets scared when a T-Rex starts chasing him. When he gets home, the boy realizes he made an error when he opens the party bag he received.
Funny for preschool storytimes.
Funny for preschool storytimes.
Read
January 1, 2018The dinosaurs are having a party, and they invite a little boy. But the dinosaurs are planning to serve a special dish at their party and all is not as it seems...
Subject:
Dinosaurs -- Juvenile fiction
Parties -- Juvenile fiction
Stories in rhyme
Subject:
Dinosaurs -- Juvenile fiction
Parties -- Juvenile fiction
Stories in rhyme
Read
June 10, 2015Great for boys
August 26, 2015
Very cute. My daughter loves dinosaurs and found it very funny for them to be having a party.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews